Blizzard Entertainment announced on the Battle.net blog today that Diablo III’s expansion pack, previously announced as “Reaper of Souls” will be released on Mac and PC on March 25, 2014. Pre-orders are already open for both a Digital Standard Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition. The new expansion will open up “Act V” in the story against evil, demons, and the Angel of Death and allow players to play as the new Crusader hero type. Reaper of Souls will also bring a new updated loot rewards system, new class skills and abilities, and new features such as Mystic and Adventure mode. There will also be repeatable content in the way of Bounties and Nephalem Rifts.

Three Different Versions Announced

Gamers can purchase the standard version, which will only be the expansion pack. Alternatively, they can pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, which will contain extra goodies for Diablo fans. The first will be access to a collection of exclusive helm and weapon transmogrification recipes that will allow heroes to be distinguished (in look) on the battlefield. In addition, players will receive a Spectral Hound minion to fight by your side in the world of Sanctuary. Digital Deluxe owners will also gain access to three additional character slots for new heroes, as well as receive an in-game “Treasure Goblin” companion pet for their adventures over in World of WarCraft. Finally, Digital Deluxe owners of Reaper of Souls will get a plethora of Crusader-themed Battle.net portraits as well as Malthael-themed decals for StarCraft II.

The Digital Deluxe Version of Reaper of Souls will include a Treasure Goblin Pet for World of Warcraft

For those die-hard fans of the series, a retail-exclusive “Collector’s Edition” was also announced. This boxed set includes all the benefits of the Digital Deluxe edition, as well as some other goodies. Included in the set is a Malthael mouse pad, bearing the stunning artwork done of the Angel of Death. Also included will be a Hardback Collector’s Edition art book, which chronicles the game’s artistic development, as well as a behind-the-scenes Blu-Ray/DVD two-disc set that features in-depth interviews with the dev team at Blizzard, along with thoughts from the Diablo III community.

Gamers that order the Standard Edition now will be able to change their minds and upgrade to the Digital Deluxe version for $20 more. The Collector’s Editions are in limited supply so gamers are suggested to pre-order them now at their preferred retail location.

Our Take

Reaper of Souls looks like it will really put Diablo III in a great place. It should be noted, however, that the release did not include a release date for the “Ultimate Evil Edition” which will be the Diablo III + Reaper of Souls combo for PlayStation 4 which was on display at BlizzCon. For gamers who wish to reminiss about the original Diablo III launch, check out Gaming Illustrated’s hilarious on-site report with video and pictures.

Niloufar Gibson

Niloufar Gibson is part of the GI news team and has been associated with the site for a number of years. She primarily covers consumer electronics and mobile devices and also handles much of the social media duties for Gaming Illustrated.